Hike! It's not too late for high school football teams to right the ship

Paul Laurence Dunbar (0-3) at Eastern (2-1), 7 p.m.: It's been a tough start for the Bulldogs. They've given up 132 points this season, tied with Seneca for the most in Class 6A. Eastern boasts wins over Bullitt East and Collins, the latter ranked eighth in Class 4A.

Boone County (0-3) at No. 18 Lafayette (2-1), 7:30 p.m.: Trinity handed the Generals a heavy loss last week. What better way to scrub that one away than with Boone County, which has scored just 26 points this season and is giving up more than 48 points a game?

Covington Catholic (0-3) at Lexington Catholic (1-2), 7:30 p.m.: CovCath is 0-3 for the first time since 2009 while LexCath is no stranger to a slow start: the Knights began 1-3 last year before reaching the state semifinals.

Estill County (2-1) at Lexington Christian (3-0), 7:30 p.m.: LCA has won its first three for the first time since 2012 and seeks its first 4-0 start since winning the Class A title in 2009. The Engineers lost their season opener to Fleming County by two points.

Madison Central (3-0) at No. 7 Bryan Station (2-1), 7:30 p.m.: Mark Scenters has the Indians out to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2008. Station looks to end a three-game homestand with back-to-back wins after shutting out then-No. 6 Cooper last week.

Tates Creek (1-2) at No. 11 Henry Clay (1-1), 7:30 p.m.: Henry Clay bounced back in a big way against Clark County after falling to St. Xavier the week before. The Commodores earned their first win behind five TD passes from senior Peyton Burke last Friday.

TOP STATE GAMES

Trinity (3-0) at No. 1 Male (3-0), 7:30 p.m.: The top two teams in The Associated Press Class 6A poll square off. Trinity (not yet ranked by Dave Cantrall because it has not played two in-state opponents) has faced seemingly tougher competition, while the Bulldogs have allowed just 13 points all season. Last season's meetings between these two went into double overtime in the regular season and overtime in the postseason. Each won once.

No. 15 Owensboro (3-0) at No. 5 Bowling Green (2-1), 7:30 p.m. CDT: The Purples are rated 10 spots ahead of the Red Devils in the Cantrall Ratings, but Owensboro was on top in the latest media poll. After falling 45-19 at St. Xavier last week, the hosts look to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since a three-game losing streak in 2002.

Related stories from Lexington Herald-Leader

No. 13 McCracken County (2-1) at No. 12 Mayfield (3-0), 7 CDT:McCracken is rated 13th in the Cantrall Ratings but didn't receive a single vote in the media poll last week. Mayfield hadn't given up a touchdown until last week in a 37-14 rout of Paducah Tilghman. McCracken lost to the Blue Tornado 21-7 in its season opener at home.

No. 19 Anderson County (3-0) at No. 8 Boyle County (3-0), 7:30 p.m.: Mark Peach's Bearcats are 3-0 for the first time since 2009, when they started off 8-0. Anderson is 0-3 against Boyle under Peach. Knocking off the Rebels on the road will be a tough feat, but one that would reverberate throughout Central Kentucky.

No. 14 Ryle (3-0) at No. 20 Highlands (1-2), 7 p.m.: While Ryle has impressed early on, the Bluebirds have underwhelmed. Can they remedy things at home or will they lose three of their first four games for the first time since 1967, when they opened with four straight losses?

No. 9 Central Hardin (2-1) at No. 17 South Warren (3-0), 7 p.m. CDT: No team in Class 4A boasts a better scoring margin than South Warren, which has bludgeoned opponents by 34.4 points a game. Central Hardin fell to a strong Boyle County team in its opener and has since righted the ship.

Pineville (2-1) at Paris (3-0), 7:30 p.m.: The Mountain Lions come to Bourbon County with a dynamic quarterback in Tuck Woolum and having just beaten Middlesboro for the first time since 1989. Paris hopes to avoid what happened in 2012, when it followed a 3-0 start with a four-game losing streak.

Hopkinsville (3-0) at Murray (2-1), 7 p.m. CDT: These pair of Tigers, both ranked in their respective classes, are coming off much different outcomes. Hoptown started 3-0 for the first time since 2004 with a 50-7 beatdown of Fort Campbell. Class 5A Graves County mauled host Murray 39-14.

Complete schedule of games

This weekend's high school football schedule

All times p.m. and local to site

FRIDAY

Metcalfe Co. at Adair Co., 7

Glasgow at Allen Co.-Scottsville, 7

Butler Co. at Apollo, 7

Fort Knox at Atherton, 7:30

Dresden (Tenn.) at Ballard Memorial, 7

Morgan Co. at Bath Co., 7:30

Newport Central Catholic at Belfry, 7:30

Wayne Co. at Bell Co., 7:30

Trimble Co. at Bishop Brossart, 7:30

Madison Southern at Bourbon Co., 7:30

Owensboro at Bowling Green, 7

Anderson Co. at Boyle Co., 7:30

Hopkins Co. Central at Breckinridge Co., 7

Madison Central at Bryan Station, 7:30

Jeffersontown at Bullitt Central, 7:30

Spencer Co. at Bullitt East, 7:30

Fern Creek at Butler, 7

Marshall Co. at Calloway Co., 7

LaRue Co. at Campbellsville, 7:30

Lincoln Co. at Casey Co., 7:30

Hart Co. at Caverna, 7

St. Xavier at Central, 7:30

Fort Campbell at Christian Co., 7

Scott Co. at Cincinnati Elder (Ohio), 8

Webster Co. at Clinton Co., 7:30

Campbell Co. at Cooper, 7:30

Danville at Corbin, 7:30

Taft (Ohio) at Covington Holy Cross, 7

Caldwell Co. at Crittenden Co., 7

New Miami (Ohio) at Dayton, 7

West Carter at East Carter, 7:30

Clay Co. at East Jessamine, 7:30

Twin Valley (Va.) at East Ridge, 7:30

Paul Laurence Dunbar at Eastern, 7

Warren East at Edmonson Co., 7

North Hardin at Elizabethtown, 7:30

Lexington Christian at Estill Co., 7:30

Rowan Co. at Fleming Co., 7:30

Franklin Co. at Frankfort, TBA

Greenwood at Franklin-Simpson, 7

Gibson Co. (Tenn.) at Fulton City, 7

Chaffee (Mo.) at Fulton Co., 7

Rockcastle Co. at Garrard Co., 7:30

Harrison Co. at Grant Co., 7

Paducah Tilghman at Graves Co., 7

Ohio Co. at Grayson Co., 7

Daviess Co. at Hancock Co., 7

Knox Central at Harlan Co., 7:30

Somerset at Hazard, 7:30

Gibson Southern (Ind.) at Henderson Co., 7

Tates Creek at Henry Clay, 7:30

Walton-Verona at Henry Co., 7:30

Ryle at Highlands, 7

Shelby Valley at Hurley (Va.), 7:30

Allen Central at Jenkins, 7:30

Carroll Co. at Kentucky Country Day, 7:30

South Floyd at Knott Co. Central, 7:30

Boone Co. at Lafayette, 7:30

Powell Co. at Lawrence Co., 7:30

Nicholas Co. at Lewis Co., 7:30

Covington Catholic at Lexington Catholic, 7:30

Holmes at Lloyd Memorial, 7

Oldham Co. at Louisville Christian, 7:30

DeSales vs. Louisville Holy Cross, 7:30

Gallatin Co. at Ludlow, 7

Berea at Lynn Camp, 7:30

Fairview at Madeira (Ohio), 7

Betsy Layne at Magoffin Co., 7:30

Trinity at Male, 7:30

Woodford Co. at Marion Co., 7:30

North Laurel at Mason Co., 7:30

McCracken Co. at Mayfield, 7

Providence (Ind.) at McCreary Central, 7:30

Muhlenberg Co. at McLean Co., 7

Warren Central at Meade Co., 8

South Laurel at Middlesboro, 7:30

Barren Co. at Monroe Co., 7

Clark Co. at Montgomery Co., 7:30

Hopkinsville at Murray, 7

Bardstown at Nelson Co., 7:30

Bellevue at Newport, 7

Shelby Co. at North Bullitt, 7:30

South Oldham at North Oldham, 7:30

South Spencer (Ind.) at Owensboro Catholic, 7

Ridgeview (Va.) at Paintsville, 7:30

Pineville at Paris, 7:30

Pike Co. Central at Perry Co. Central, 7:30

Sheldon Clark at Pikeville, 7:30

John Hardin at Pleasure Ridge Park, 7:30

Breathitt Co. at Prestonsburg, 7:30

Russell Co. at Pulaski Co., 7

Greenup Co. at Raceland, 7:30

Ashland Blazer at Russell, 7:30

Logan Co. at Russellville, 7

Conner at Scott, 7

Southern at Seneca, 7

Waggener at Shawnee, 7:30

Dixie Heights at Simon Kenton, 7

Boyd Co. at South Point (Ohio), 7:30

Central Hardin at South Warren, 7

Mercer Co. at Southwestern, 7:30

Eminence at Switzerland Co. (Ind.), 7:30

Green Co. at Taylor Co., 8

Washington Co. at Thomas Nelson, 7:30

Trigg Co. at Todd Co. Central, 7

Madisonville at Union Co., 7

Moore at Valley, 7:30

Whitley Co. at West Jessamine, 7:30

Ballard at Western, 7

Owen Co. at Western Hills, 7:30

ARH Football Classic at Letcher Co. Central

Central (Va.) vs. Letcher Co. Central, 7:30

Saturday

Bracken Co. at Harlan, 6

Pendleton Co. at Jackson Co., 6

Never miss a local story.

Sign up today for a free 30 day free trial of unlimited digital access.